


New Beginnings in an Airport

by crashlandthetardis (artificertary)



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Airport AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, God i love this so much, enjoy, fem!Bilbo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-28
Updated: 2015-12-08
Packaged: 2018-01-26 20:43:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1701905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificertary/pseuds/crashlandthetardis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Many things happen in airports, whether it be reunions, or meetings, or simply a stopping point. Bella Baggins had thought she would leave as quickly as she came. She did, but before that happened, her life changed for the better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! This was a much needed break from Almost Respectable. I do promise that I am working on the next chapter, I wont abandon our favorite couple!

The airport was an absolute mess and Bella was still wondering why she decided to go on this vacation. Every time she did question herself, she was reminded of her mother’s love of travel and her wish that her daughter would be able to see what she had seen and more. For that reason alone, Bella was still hurrying to find her luggage. 

The luggage carousel was rotating on an endless loop when she arrived, and she knew she would be waiting for quite a while. Bella sighed and gave her phone a cursory glance. No one had called or texted while she was in the air. She was slightly surprised; Bella had thought at least three of her cousins were rabidly waiting to hear all of the details of her trip, even though it had barely begun. 

A burgundy suitcase with gold colored zippers was making its way around the circle and Bella perked up. At least this was going to move more quickly than she had anticipated. She moved forward to collect it when something collided with her legs. 

“Oh!” Bella almost jumped out of her skin and quickly looked down to see what had trapped her. Two little boys were wrapped around her legs and when she looked down, a confused look crossed both their faces. 

“You’re not our mom.” The younger one with dark hair looked offended that Bella was indeed not their mother, while the blond one had since let go of her. 

“Do you need help finding your mom? Are you lost?”

The blond boy looked around quickly and nodded his head, shyly saying, 

“She was with our uncles and I don’t know what happened.”

He looked like he might cry, so Bella intervened quickly.

“It’s alright. I’ll help you find them. My name is Bella. What’s yours?”

The dark haired boy still clutching her leg looked up at her, surprisingly cheerful. 

“My name’s Kili and my brother’s name is Fili!”

Bella smiled and glanced back at the carousel. Her luggage was slowly rotating out of sight. She turned her attention back to Fili and Kili. 

“Alright, where did you last see them?” 

Fili got a serious look on his face as he looked around the crowded airport. He pointed through the crowd and looked back up at Bella. 

“I think they were over there.” 

“Okay. Don’t worry, boys, we’ll find them.”

Bella tried to take a step, having wrongly assumed that Kili would release her leg. She sighed and decided to pick him up, it would certainly make it easier on her leg, plus she could watch him. Bella looked down at Fili and held out her hand. He took it with a little hesitation and the trio walked where Fili had pointed. 

After searching for close to ten minutes, Bella was secretly a little worried. She had no idea where the boys’ family could be, and wandering aimlessly through the airport didn’t seem like the best idea. Bella steered the boys to a bench and let them sit down. In the short amount of time they had spent together, she learned quite a few things about Fili and Kili. It turned out that Kili was quite the talker and Fili was happy to share a few things as well when his brother got excited. Kili was six and Fili nine. They were going on vacation with their parents, as well as their uncles. Kili was also very fond of the green color of her blouse. 

In an effort to keep them entertained, Bella was busy thinking up riddles she could ask them. More often than not, they would give up after two guesses each and then nod like they had known the answer all along when she finally told them. 

“A box without hinges, key, or lid. Yet golden treasure inside is hid.”

Her latest riddle had Fili and Kili stumped, so she gave them a little more time, and took the opportunity to try and think of what she could do. The people milling about didn’t look like the vague description of their family that the boys had given her, but she found herself studying them all the same. Goodness, everyone was talking on their phones, weren’t they? Her father had always bemoaned the lack of actual communication between people whenever she had shown him her phone. 

Bella suddenly felt extraordinarily stupid in that moment. She had a phone didn’t she? And what were phones used for? Calling people. Specifically, in this situation, calling the family of the boys she had been looking after. 

“Fili, do you happen to know the phone number of anyone in your family? Your mom or one of your uncles?” 

Fili thought for a second and was about to answer when Kili cut in.

“I know Uncle Thorin’s number! I memorized it, all by myself!”

Bella laughed a little at the expression on Kili’s face and took out her phone. Kili diligently recited the numbers, with a lengthy pause in between so he could make sure that Bella had caught them. The phone rang twice before it was picked up.

“Hello?” The voice on the other end was deep and silky. 

“Um, hello. Do you happen to have two nephews named Fili and Kili?” 

“You’ve found them?” Bella could hear the person on the other end shout to someone that he had found the boys.

“Yes, I did. Right now we’re by Concourse A, sitting on a bench.” 

Kili took the opportunity to shout hello at his uncle, quite loudly. The man who Bella assumed was Thorin chuckled.

“Tell them we’ll be there as soon as possible. And thank you, for keeping them safe. We were all so worried.”

“I’ll tell them. They’re very sweet; it wasn’t any trouble at all.”

Thorin hung up the phone and Bella glanced down at Fili and Kili. The pair was looking avidly at the bakery across from them. Bella smiled and reached for her bag. She was fairly certain that she had packed as few treats before she left home. Sure enough she found the bag and gave Fili and Kili both a cookie. 

“Everyone is coming soon to get you, they are all very worried.”

Fili and Kili nodded and kept munching on their cookies. Fili perked up and turned towards her.

“What was the answer to your riddle? You never said. “

“Oh! I suppose I didn’t, did I? It was an egg.”

Kili giggled and nudged his brother, 

“We knew that.” 

Bella smiled and pretended to look impressed, 

“Good job, that one was tough.” 

Just then, about three different voices yelled “Fili! Kili!” at the exact same time. The boys’ heads shot up so quickly that Bella momentarily worried for the state of their necks. The pair bolted off of the bench and both ran for a woman that was most likely their mother.

Bella watched them run and collide with their mom, a smile on her face. Bella stood and gathered her things when she noticed a man coming towards her. He was tall and well-muscled, with jet black hair. Bella tried not to stare, but was finding it difficult. 

“I can’t thank you enough for finding them and helping them get back to us. I know they can be a handful at times.”

“It really was no trouble, I’m glad they’re back where they’re supposed to be. They really were very well behaved; and very fond of riddles.”

The man laughed and smiled at her. Bella smiled in return, and found herself staring distractedly into his eyes. They were a sharp, piercing blue. Bella was brought back to the present when he subtly cleared his throat.

“I should introduce myself, my name is Thorin Oakenshield."

“Pleased to meet you, my name is Bella Baggins.” 

Thorin continued to smile at her, and Bella found it was rather infectious. She was going to say something along those lines when Fili and Kili ran over, the rest of their family in tow. The woman that had hugged the boys introduced herself as Dis. 

“Thank you so much for finding my boys, someone wasn’t watching out for them properly.” With that she sent a glare in the direction of a blond man, who Bella thought might be her husband. 

Introductions were made and Bella was able to put faces to the names that Fili and Kili mentioned. Dis and Vili were the parents of Fili and Kili. Dis was busy fawning over the boys, while Vili was trying to avoid well placed smacks. Frerin was another uncle to the boys. He seemed to share their love of jokes and cheerfulness. 

On more than one occasion Bella found herself staring at Thorin. She went unnoticed until he finally caught her eye and smiled slightly. The tips of Bella’s ears went red and she looked away, embarrassed. 

A short while later, Dis came up to her while holding the boys’ hands. 

“This may seem too much, but would you like to join us for dinner? We understand if you’re busy, but we would be happy to have you.”

Fili and Kili burst into the conversation by shouting ‘please!’, almost at the top of their lungs.

All her life, Bella Baggins had taken the safe road, the one of least resistance, much to her mother’s displeasure. She had always encouraged her daughter to throw caution to the wind and try new things, because how would she ever get anywhere if she didn’t? 

She had barely met these people, but the odd thing was that she liked them. She liked their teasing jokes and laughter, as well as their loving kindness. It had been so long since she had felt welcome, even among her own family. She bit one lip thoughtfully and spared a glance to Thorin. He was watching her intently, obviously waiting for her answer. 

“I’d love to join you. I just have to get my baggage. “

Dis smiled brightly.

“Of course, we’ll wait for you!” 

That was how Bella Baggins went from spending her vacation alone to spending it with people who made her laugh, and cared so much. It was also how she met a very interesting man, who she wanted to spend much more time getting to know. It was the beginning, in more ways than one. 

That, however, is a different story. 


	2. There and Back Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here it is. The next chapter. 
> 
> Who is excited?! I know I am :)
> 
> Thank you so so much for all of the amazing comments on the first chapter, it was only supposed to be a one shot, but you changed my mind!

Bella was still valiantly dealing with a horrible case of jet lag when the phone rang. Groaning, she pushed herself up off of her bed to answer it. It was much too early for anyone to be calling. This was beyond ridiculous. Whoever it was calling was going to get a piece of her mind. She blindly pushed the button to answer and held it to her ear.

"Good morning?” She said in an attempt to tell the person that it was indeed morning, and much too early in said morning.

“Bella! It’s Bofur. How was your trip? If I have to wait any longer, I think I may not actually survive this. And then you’ll need to find a new best friend, and neither of us want that.”

“Bofur. I just got back home, I am jet lagged beyond belief, and I am so not in the mood right now. Can I call you later?”

“As long as you do call.”

“I promise I will.”

The call ended and Bella fell back into her bed. It had been an amazing trip, and she had had a wonderful time. She smiled whenever she thought of Fili and Kili, or Dis, who she had become close to. Thorin was another matter altogether. They had hit it off fantastically, much to the delight of the rest of his family.

During dinner, they had covered an impressive range of topics, all of which kept Bella completely entertained. Afterwards, she had felt bad that she hadn’t paid much attention to any of the others, but Thorin had assured her that they really didn’t mind.

At the end of the dinner, Thorin had slipped her his number, asking her to keep in touch after the vacation. She had readily agreed, with a smile on her face.

It was strange to be back home after so much hustle and bustle. Her bed was much nicer than the one in her hotel, which made being home very pleasant. She settled back to sleep, pulling the covers all around her. Suddenly, an annoyingly insistent buzzing sound came from her nightstand. Bella almost screamed in frustration. Couldn’t everyone just leave her alone until she fixed her sleep schedule?

Not that her sleep schedule was the most regular of things anyway. Being a writer challenged the notion of eight hours of sleep frequently. Bella rolled over and grabbed her phone. Thorin’s name flashed on the screen. Bella smiled and opened the text.

_Good morning ___

She almost forgave him for disturbing her sleep at such an ungodly hour, but decided to tease him a little.

_What do you mean? Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good on this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on? ___

His response was almost immediate. The speed at which he sent texts still amazed her, did he just avoid work while talking to her?

_All of them at once, I suppose. ___

Bella laughed and continued to text, resolutely ignoring the time on the screen of her phone.

_What are you up to? Please don’t tell me you’re at work, I’m going to feel horribly lazy if you do. ___

She could picture the look on his face when he read her message, apologetic yet amused. Bella couldn’t say she was surprised by his response when she opened the next text. It seemed that all he did was work. The nature of his work was still something that left Bella slightly confused. Whenever they brought up the subject of their professions, Thorin was always vague, saying something about some family company. She had even asked Dis about it while on vacation, but all she would say was that Thorin had a much better understanding of the whole thing than she did.

_You’re not lazy, you just have a different work ethic, which isn’t a bad thing. ___

Bella smirked.

_Thank you for the reassurance. The rest of my family thinks my profession is unstable at best. At least someone has confidence in me. ___

_I find you’re one that I can easily put my confidence in._

She smiled into her pillow and told Thorin that she would talk to him later because she had to catch up on some much needed sleep.

A few hours later Bella finally gathered the ambition to get out of bed and do something semi productive. After having breakfast and catching up on the news, she finally called Bofur back, prepared for a very long phone call.

Sure enough, almost two hours later Bofur was finally satisfied with her retelling of the trip and the amount she talked about Thorin. When she was done, Bofur had commented that she sounded much happier when she was able to gush over someone. Bella rolled her eyes and said she didn’t gush, but didn’t deny that she was feeling much happier lately.

Bella went out and did some shopping, not feeling like doing anything overly ambitious that day. She deserved at least one day to get used to being at home again. Dis called when Bella was in the coffee aisle, asking if she would want to come over sometime soon. Bella happily agreed, saying she would be over as soon as she could. During the vacation, she had been concerned that Thorin and the rest of them lived somewhere too far away. That seemed to be the trouble with airports, it wasn’t exactly a way to meet people that lived close to you. She had been pleasantly surprised to find that they lived fairly close to her. Therefore, she and Dis promised they would spend as much time as they could together.

Dis and Vili owned an impressive house. Bella had barely picked her jaw up from the ground when Dis opened the door. The pair hugged and quickly moved towards the living room.

“How are you, Bella? It’s so nice to see you. How is my brother?”

“I’m doing well, it’s nice to finally be home! Thorin and I have been talking a lot recently, which has truly been nice.”

Dis’s smile seemed to brighten the room. Just then, Fili and Kili came tearing into the room, running straight to Bella for a hug.

She embraced them gladly. They had grown fond of her in the time they spent together, and she had grown fond of them as well.

“Bella! Bella! Bella! It’s my birthday in eighty two days! Will you come to the party?” Kili was jumping up and down in front of her, too excited to do anything else.

Bella laughed and nodded,

“I’m sure I’ll be able to make some time to come.”

Kili laughed, saying,

“Don’t forget a present!”

“Kili!” Dis was quick to admonish him, but Bella shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

“It’s fine, Dis. I won’t forget a present, Kili.”

The boys hugged her one more time and left the room. Dis watched them leave and shook her head,

“I swear they will never find manners.”

Bella smiled and hummed in agreement.

“They’re still young, they’re allowed to be a little wild. “

Soon they fell into comfortable conversation, not realizing how late it was getting. Vili eventually ducked into the living room and waved at Dis, saying that he would start dinner. Dis’s good natured expression turned to one of abject horror.

“Damn it! I completely forgot about tonight!”

She turned her attention back to Bella and continued,

“Thorin and Frerin are coming over for dinner tonight, I think Frerin may be bringing someone else, but that isn’t surprising, there seems to be a different girl every week.” Dis trailed off, shaking her head slightly, but an excited look grew on her face and she grasped Bella’s hand.

“You’re more than welcome to stay as well! I’m sure Thorin would love to see you!”

Bella agreed quickly, and then internally cringed, she didn’t want to seem too overeager.

Dis cheered and stood,

“I should help Vili in the kitchen, I trust him, but there is a higher than average chance that something will burn and I don’t want that.”

Soon Bella was focused on cutting carrots and peeling potatoes, content to listen to the teasing conversation between Dis and Vili.

The doorbell rang and Bella heard Kili run to the door and shout Frerin’s name. She put the vegetables into a pot on the counter and turned to say hello to Frerin. He looked happy to see her and gave her a one armed hug, moving on to Dis. Bella was fairly certain that she heard him whisper something about her and Thorin, but she wasn’t sure.

A woman with long dark hair followed and Frerin was about to introduce her when the doorbell rang again and the boys ran yelling to answer it. Bella suddenly felt slightly nervous and tried to find something to do with her hands. She settled with putting the knife in the sink and the pot by the stove. By the time she had finished, Thorin was walking in while apologizing for being late.

He hugged his sister and brother and clapped Vili on the back before turning to Bella. He looked surprised to see her, but smiled.

“How was work?” Bella’s brain landed on the first thing she could think of and she blurted it out without much thought.

“It was productive, although not as enjoyable as sleeping, I’m sure.” Thorin smirked at her and settled by her side to talk.

Eventually Dis shooed them from the kitchen, saying that they would be more comfortable sitting down to wait for dinner to be ready. Thorin led the way back to the living room and sat down on the couch, waiting for her to join him. Bella smiled and sat down, continuing to talk about her day,

“- And Dis called me asking if I would like to spend some time with her, which is why I’m here in the first place. “

“I’m glad you were able to join us, I was actually going to call you tonight and ask if you would like to go out for lunch tomorrow. At least if you’ll be out of bed by then.” His tone was light and teasing, making Bella smile and hit him on the arm.

“Of course I’ll be out of bed by then, I don’t sleep away every day. I would love to go to lunch with you.”

Thorin smiled and leaned further back on the couch, obviously tired.

“Now that I’ve told you everything about my boring day, how was yours?”

“Four meetings and an amount of time that no sane person could ever call a break made it rather mind numbing.” He rubbed at his eyes and sighed. Bella frowned and touched his arm. He opened his eyes to look at her and she gave him a sympathetic smile.

They were interrupted by Frerin and the woman with him. Bella felt slightly bad that she still had no idea what her name was. She leaned over to Thorin and whispered, “Do you have any idea what her name is?”

Thorin raised an eyebrow and shook his head slightly. Chuckling a little, he said,

“I don’t remember the name of the one before we went on vacation either. We've come to accept that it is very unlikely that Frerin will settle down anytime soon.”

Frerin must have seen them whispering because he broke through the silence.

“What are you two talking about? It must be something incredibly boring if my brother is leading the conversation.”

Thorin gave his brother an exasperated look and shook his head, completely ignoring him. He turned back to Bella and kept talking. She glanced over at Frerin and he just shrugged his shoulders and laughed. Not long after, Dis came into the room and announced that dinner was ready.

The table was laid out elaborately, and as Bella was admiring the china laid out Dis came to stand next to her, saying that she was glad that Bella stayed for dinner.

“It’s been much too long since the male to female ratio has been anything close to equal.”

Bella smiled and was about to take her seat when Thorin came behind her and pulled out the chair for her.

She looked at him gratefully and said thank you. He nodded and settled down next to her. Fili and Kili came running into the room and sat in their chairs as well. Dis fussed over them briefly, asking if they had washed their hands. Kili enthusiastically replied that he had, but he wasn’t sure about Fili.

“I did!” Fili interrupted his brother and glared at him.

Dis laughed and dinner began quickly. Much to Bella’s dismay, the conversation turned to her.

“So Bella, how goes the latest project?” Frerin smiled at her and told the woman with him that Bella was a writer.

Bella internally sighed. She truly did love her job, being able to write for a living was something she was lucky to do. It had always felt intensely personal though, at least until it was released, which made her reluctant to talk about it in public. She had mentioned something along those lines to Thorin and she was pleased to see that he agreed and didn’t push to talk about what she was working on.

Luckily, Thorin was the one that saved her from talking about it further.

“Dis, I had a meeting with Balin today, he wanted me to let you know that the venue for the company Christmas party was chosen.”

“Finally! I was worried that he would have forgotten. You have gotten so busy lately.”

Conversation turned elsewhere and Bella couldn’t deny that she was relieved. She nudged Thorin and whispered her thanks. He nodded and said, “Any time.” His hand brushed over hers and gave it a small squeeze.

Bella blushed and tried to focus more on the conversations around her. The rest of the dinner went smoothly and Bella was thoroughly entertained by the stories that Vili was telling about meeting Dis and the rest of her family for the first time.

Dessert was rich and almost completely chocolate, which made it more than amazing in Bella’s opinion. Afterwards, she helped Dis with the dishes and made small talk until Dis brought up the subject of her brother.

“You two are good together. I haven’t seen him like this for a long time. He’s always too serious, too focused on work.

Bella nodded in agreement,

“He is definitely focused, but I admire it. He’s obviously passionate about what he does, even though he won’t tell me what it is.”

“He will eventually, it tends to change people’s opinions of him and our family. It’s nothing illegal, I promise you.”

“That’s something, at least.”

The two women laughed and finished up the dishes. Everyone else was in the living room either talking or watching television when they finally joined them.  
The boys were trying not to yawn, or at least trying not to be obvious about it. Vili ended up ushering them out of the room with little resistance. Frerin and his date took the opportunity to say their goodbyes as well. Thorin stood and hugged Dis, saying,

“I should be going as well. Thank you for dinner. It was wonderful.”

“You need to stop over more often, I heard Fili say that you’re his favorite uncle the other day.”

Thorin smiled and replied,

“Did he forget that Frerin was also an option?”

Dis smacked him on the shoulder and gave him a stern look.

“You know that they love you.”

“Yes, I do. Goodnight Dis.”

The pair hugged once more and Thorin went to grab his coat. Bella and Dis said goodbye, promising to call each other the next day. Thorin was at the door when she turned the corner. He held it open for her and followed behind.

Bella, working on finding her keys, was the first to speak.

“I’m looking forward to lunch with you tomorrow.”

“I am as well.” Thorin’s mouth quirked up at the side. Bella was quickly realizing that it was one of her favorite qualities about him.

“Do you have a place in mind?”

Thorin nodded. “I do actually, if you don’t object.”

“I’m sure whatever you have chosen will be lovely. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Until tomorrow.”

They both stood there looking at each other for quite some time, neither trying to break away.

Finally Bella looked down at her keys and said,

“Well, bye.” She smiled sheepishly and gave a small wave.

“Bye.” Thorin’s returned smile was full of a confidence that Bella thought was difficult for anyone to achieve.

The drive back to her home was uneventful, she spent it by replaying many of the conversations she and Thorin had in her mind. There were so many things that she had learned about him in the short time that she had known him, but there was also so much that she still didn’t know, but wanted to.

Bofur texted her as she was sitting in bed on her laptop.

_Up for lunch tomorrow? ___

_I would be, but I have a date :) ___

_Is it with that Thorin guy? He seems nice. ___

_It is. And he is. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. ___

She spent around an hour working on her latest idea. It wasn’t much, but she thought it was interesting. It would end up being a lot different than her other novels. Her editor took everything that she sent him in stride, and encouraged her to do whatever she would like. It probably had helped that he had been close friends with her mother.

Grey Publishing was a well-known name, and its founder even more so. Gandalf Grey had practically built an empire around strong novels and authors. It still stunned her that she was a part of it at times.

When the words on her screen started to become blurry, she shut down the computer and crawled into bed. Her phone buzzed at her side and she rolled her eyes. Bofur really had no patience sometimes. She grabbed her phone and unlocked it, finding that it wasn’t Bofur. It was Thorin.

_Goodnight, Bella. Sweet dreams ___

_Goodnight, Thorin. ___

Bella fell asleep soon after that, a smile dancing on her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I didnt disappoint anyone. You should know that I LITERALLY have no plot for this. So what have you always wanted out of a fem!bilbo modern au that you have never gotten? This is your chance! Comment please! 
> 
> I promise the next chapter of almost respectable will be up soon, it's giving me some trouble. 
> 
> also- if anyone is so inclined, my tumblr is crashlandthetardis, and I am always always always willing to talk about fem!bilbo or anything hobbit related at all!


	3. Lemon Tarts and Over Sized Felines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter in less than a week? What is the world coming to? I love having free time so much! Enjoy! And a new POV too! Man, I've been ambitious :) 
> 
> Small discussion of suicide in this chapter, but it is very very brief and unspecific, just a heads up if anyone needs it

Thorin pressed the button for the intercom on his phone and called Balin in. His advisor came in quickly, looking at him suspiciously. Thorin rarely bothered him throughout the day, so this was a rare occurrence. 

“What do you need, lad?” Balin had been his father’s advisor and one of his best friends. After the scandal, and aftermath, Balin was one of the few who had stayed. 

“I’m going out for lunch, I need my calls to be held and that meeting postponed for around two hours.”

Balin’s white eyebrows shot up and he nodded quickly. 

“Of course, I’m glad you’re finally taking a break. You’ve worked yourself to the bone. The company is back, possibly better than before. You can afford to sit back and watch it run for a while.”

“I don’t think so.”

“I may be wrong, lad, but many people seem to find vacations enjoyable.”

Thorin chuckled and sat back in his chair, folding his hands around the back of his head. The picture of ease. The intercom buzzed again and Thorin answered it, expecting to hear his assistant remind him of the calls he had to make. It was his assistant, but he wasn’t reminding him of a call. 

“Mr. Oakenshield, sir. A man by the name of Smaug is here to speak with you.”

Thorin drew in a quick breath and looked up at Balin. The old man looked as confused as Thorin was. Smaug was the one behind the ruin of the company his grandfather and father had worked so tirelessly to build, whether the police believed it or not. 

Thorin had seen the utter destruction Smaug had caused, and remembered how much it had taken to reclaim it and restore it to its former glory every day. It had started with a leak to the press in which it was said that his grandfather Thror would be buying their sister company of Moria, which would have made Erebor one of the most powerful companies in the world. 

Thror had been taken from his home one night by a supposedly independent group in order to open the massive safe where the data and logistics behind the takeover were being kept. He had struggled, but had eventually entered the code. The thieves took what they wanted and shot Thror, leaving him to die in his office. 

By the time Thorin’s father woke the next morning, Erebor was in shambles. The group had taken over Erebor seamlessly, draining it of funds and destroying the connections it held the world over. 

Thrain was despondent in his grief. The public ridicule and the questions of the quality of security overwhelmed Thorin’s father, eventually causing him to take his own life, leaving Thorin to pick up the pieces of a destroyed company and broken family. 

Reclaiming Erebor and elevating it to its previous position in the world had been the sole desire that Thorin had focused on for years. Countless sleepless nights and as many court cases had brought Erebor fully back under his control. It had taken a few more years to reconnect with business partners that had fled in the wake of the leak.

The police and press both eventually agreed that the group that had killed Thror and stolen everything had operated without a definite leader. Thorin hadn’t believed that notion from the start and as a result had hired a private investigator to find who was behind everything that had happened. 

Overwhelming information had flowed in, all pointing to the damning guilt of one man with the last name of Smaug. Any and all records had been scrubbed clean of every name linked to Smaug, leaving him with no other alias. 

Broken out of his musing, Thorin heaved one last sigh and pushed the button to gain the attention of his assistant. 

“Send him in.”

The man that soon entered the office was impeccably dressed and almost deadly looking. Thorin didn’t bother standing to greet or shake hands with the man. Balin left the room quickly, giving Thorin his privacy. He didn’t bother offering Smaug a chair, but the man sat anyway, sliding into the chair elegantly. 

They stared at each other for a few seconds when Thorin’s computer flashed with an email. He opened it quickly, not relishing the idea of conversing with the man across from him. The email was a confirmation of his reservation for lunch, even though the owner of the restaurant assured him he had a permanent table and needed only to show up.

Thorin frowned. He didn’t foresee this meeting ending in time to meet with Bella. He discreetly pulled his phone from the pocket of his suit jacket. He had long since mastered the art of texting without looking at the keys, which had become imperative for him in numerous board meetings. 

“What are you doing here, Smaug?” Thorin glanced over at Smaug contemptuously. Smaug leaned forward, feline in his movements. He smiled threateningly and continued, 

“Come now, Oakenshield, is this how you treat guests?” As Smaug was speaking, Thorin typed out a quick text message to Bella and hit send.

_Something important has come up, I will not be able to pick you up for lunch. We can reschedule, or I can send a driver to pick you up, and I could meet you at the restaurant when I am able. ___

“You should know by now that you are not welcome here. What business do you have?”

_I don’t mind waiting for lunch, I’ve already gotten ready. A driver isn’t necessary, Thorin. I’m perfectly able to find the restaurant if you give me the address. ___

Smaug’s lips curled up in a menacing grin. 

“Merely an exchange of sorts.” 

Thorin scowled and shook his head,

“I am not interested in anything that you could possibly ask of me.”

_Nonsense. A driver will be there soon, and I will follow as soon as I am able. The owner will provide a table and whatever else you would like while you wait. ___

Smaug tilted his head and regarded Thorin carefully. 

“I’m sure you will change your mind when you have seen what I am willing to offer.” Smaug then pulled out a thick file from his brief case and carelessly threw it on the desk. He turned and walked out of the room, leaving Thorin nonplussed. 

He pulled the file closer to him and was able to flip through the first few incomprehensible pages before Dwalin and Nori burst into the room. Dwalin was the head of security at Erebor, and also Thorin’s oldest friend. Nori had been hired more recently, as chief intelligencer. The pair rarely saw eye to eye at work, and the situation was made more tentative by the fact that Nori’s brother was involved with Dwalin. 

“What the fuck was that bastard doing here?” Dwalin shouted into the room and strode straight up to Thorin. 

Thorin watched his friend with one eyebrow raised, waiting for him to stop ranting long enough to listen.

“He was merely offering a deal. I made it clear I was not interested.” To further his point, he grabbed the sleek black file and dumped it into the trash beside his desk. Nori had managed to not look bothered during Dwalin’s outburst, and spoke up. 

“Well, now that’s settled, I’m going to lunch.”

Dwalin looked at his coworker as though he had just been betrayed. He turned back to Thorin and voiced his concerns once more.

“Security detail surrounding you will be raised of course.”

Thorin dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand just as his phone vibrated lightly. 

_I take back everything I have previously said about the frivolity of personal drivers. I did not realize a limo was going to be involved. ___

The text was attached to a picture of a flute of champagne and a half eaten strawberry. His phone buzzed once more. 

_Do all the girls get this treatment? ___

Thorin laughed and shook his head slightly. He still hadn’t grasped just how lucky he was to have met Bella. 

_You’re the first to. ___

The reply came immediately. 

_Flattery will get you everywhere, Thorin Oakenshield. ___

Thorin smiled brightly at his phone, as if Bella would be able to see the look on his face. 

_I will join you soon, I’m just leaving now. ___

“I find that I’m inclined to agree with Nori. I’m going to go to lunch as well. “

Thorin grabbed his keys from his desk and walked past Nori and Dwalin. Nori watched him go with little interest, perusing his phone. Dwalin followed him to the elevator all the while arguing about the merits of increased security and cameras they could install around the building. 

Thorin listened idly, discussions of raising security, both around him and Erebor were frequent and not often heeded. 

The spotless glass doors of the elevator closed, leaving Thorin alone for the first time that day. No music accompanied him on his way down to the main level, he had effectively banned the horrid cacophony after it had gotten stuck in his head one day. 

His car had been pulled up to the front, one of the perks of being CEO. Around twenty minutes later he finally made it to The Traveling Party. Thorin had helped the owner, Bombur, in starting the restaurant and subsequent catering business that followed. In return, Bombur had insisted that Thorin would have a permanent reservation, and the best table in the house. 

Thorin hoped that Bella was fine, she hadn’t texted him for some time. He walked around the corner to where he knew his table to be and was surprised by what he saw there. Bella and Bombur were in the middle of an animated conversation. Thorin smiled, he admired how easily she spoke in public, which was something that he continued to struggle with. Dis and Frerin teased him mercilessly, saying that he chose the wrong profession if he couldn’t handle public speaking. 

Bella looked up at him and waved brightly. Bombur looked back and smiled at him as well. The table was set nicely, as it always was. Bombur got out of the chair and said,

“Well, Bella I’m sure I’ll see you soon. You are coming to that inane party Bofur is throwing?”

“Yes, Bofur would murder me if I didn’t.”

Bombur smiled and left them to deal with a beckoning waitress. Thorin gave her a questioning look, Bella laughed and replied,

“It does help that Bombur’s brother is my best friend.” 

Thorin nodded and realized he should apologize again, both for not being able to pick Bella up and for being late,

“I’m horribly sorry that I am late, it wasn’t my intention, and the business I had to deal with was not nearly as pleasant as I knew your company would be.”

“Thorin, it’s fine, I really don’t mind. What did you have to do?”

Thorin sighed. How could he tell her everything that had happened and still expect her to want to see him? He could see now that he had been ruthless in everything he had done in reclaiming Erebor, destroying some people’s livelihoods in the process.

Bella must have seen his indecision because she pressed on, 

“Thorin, please. Whatever happened is in the past.”

He tried to avoid her gaze, as though not looking into Bella’s eyes would make it easier to avoid the subject. He watched as her hand moved across the table and curled around his own. Thorin smiled and looked up at her, unable to evade her any longer. 

“Bella, I will tell you, I promise you that but please understand that I can’t right now. I thought things had been long buried and over that aren’t any more.” He had expected her to be disappointed, and maybe she was, but Bella just looked at him with beautiful green eyes filled with sympathy. 

“I understand, Thorin.”

“Thank you, Bella.”

Bombur came forward to their table, asking for their orders. Bella didn’t give the menu a single glance, ordering what Thorin could assume she always did. He himself skimmed the different options and chose a complicated mix of oddly spiced fish and vegetables. 

They traded stories until their food came. Bella asked about his family and what it was like to be around them all the time.

“They’re strange at times, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Dis kept me from disappearing into my work and not remembering that family was important. Frerin and I have always been very close. He was able to excel in the things I could not, and I was able to do the things he found difficult. In every way, we are a team, even though he is foolish at times.”

Bella laughed and nodded, and not for the first or last time Thorin was reminded of how lovely she was. He had noticed that she unconsciously touched her hair frequently, every time drawing his attention to the golden curls cascading down her back. She possessed an easy confidence, as well as a kind smile.

The food arrived, cutting him off from mentally waxing poetic further. 

“Do you have any siblings?”

Bella had just taken a bite of her pasta and shook her head, unable to answer right away. 

“It’s just me. My parents wanted more children but my mother had some difficulty with pregnancy, so they didn’t try again. I think I would have enjoyed having siblings, but I have almost too many cousins to count, so it evens out. “

When he was younger, he often wished his siblings would disappear. They were constantly loud and never respected his privacy. His mother told him a few years ago that he had even asked her once if they would be able to get rid of Frerin and Dis. Now that he was older and arguably wiser, having siblings was one of the things he enjoyed most about his family. 

Thorin and Bella conversed intently, finding more topics and small things about each other that they could comment on. He eventually remembered his food and realized it had gone cold. Bombur came to clear the plates and offered dessert to them. 

Thorin politely declined but Bella ordered a lemon tart, saying that it was her favorite. They continued to discuss travel destinations, Bella delighting in the realization that he traveled regularly and extensively. 

“What was the worst place you’ve gone to?”

“I don’t think any of them were remarkably horrible, but Moscow was less pleasant than I was lead to believe it would be.”

Bella grinned and glanced out of the window, thinking. He waited patiently until she brightened, a question ready on her lips, 

“How did you realize the boys were missing in the airport?”

On a list of questions Thorin had thought he may answer, that was certainly not present. He let out a booming laugh, and looked around, self-conscious. “Dis had left because the boys had wanted something to eat. She had thought that we would be able to keep track of the boys, it wasn’t as though she was going to be gone long. Frerin and Vili were arguing about the merits of flying in different eras, which is still something I find pointless. I had glanced over because the boys were being quiet, and then I realized that that was because they weren’t there at all.”

Bella laughed, which made Thorin grasp that he wanted to see her laugh more, along with every other possible emotion. 

“What did you do after that?”

“Naturally, we panicked. If you haven’t seen it yet, Dis is fiercely protective of Fili and Kili, so much so that Vili knew he wouldn’t be spared if they weren’t found. She did come back soon after and all hell broke loose. I don’t think she let her voice slip beneath a yell until I spoke on the phone with you.”

Bella’s tart came and she dug in, at the first bite her face turned to that of someone experiencing something akin to heaven. Thorin scanned the table quickly for the check, not finding it. 

“Don’t worry, Thorin. It’s on the house, it’s not often two of my favorite people come into the restaurant.” Bombur winked and walked away, leaving both Bella and Thorin staring at him, puzzled. 

They took Thorin’s car back to Bella’s because the driver of the limo had left after dropping Bella off. It was a cozy little house, with flowers everywhere. Bella noticed that he was staring and made a noncommittal gesture with her hand, 

“When I get writer’s block, I garden. So it might be a bad thing there are so many flowers, but it helps.”

Thorin stopped at her front door, content to watch Bella admire her flowers. She joined him soon after, saying, 

“I really enjoyed lunch today. It was wonderful.”

Thorin smirked and nodded, 

“I enjoyed it as well. Would you like to again sometime next week?”

He was glad to see Bella nod quickly, 

“Perfect. It’s a date.”

The sky had darkened considerably since Thorin had left work. He glanced up at the approaching clouds and frowned. Bella pulled his attention back by suggesting, “I suppose you should beat the storm. Do you have to go back to work?” 

Thorin thought about it for a second. Did he really have to go back to work? Balin could manage the rest of the day without him, in fact he would probably celebrate when he heard that Thorin would not be coming back to work. 

“No, I’m free for the rest of the day, actually.”

Bella opened her front door and turned back to look at him, 

“Do you want to come in? I’m not planning on anything else today either.”

Before he knew it Thorin was inside the house, trying to make sense of the wall of pictures in Bella’s living room. It was disordered in a way that Thorin appreciated. His own house barely had any family pictures or other personal things that gave it character. 

Bella pointed out certain pictures as they passed, by the time they reached the kitchen Thorin felt like he had seen her entire life in the span of a few seconds. 

“Do you want anything to drink?” Bella opened the fridge and peered inside. “I don’t have much, I tend to drink tea more than anything, so-“

“I’m fine, but thank you.”

Bella closed the door and straightened. A huge streak of black and brown flashed past in Thorin’s peripheral vision. 

Bella laughed and watched what Thorin finally realized was a cat. It looked more like a small lion than a housecat in Thorin’s opinion. He had always been much more of a dog person than anything else. His family had owned a series of greyhounds that had retired from racing all throughout his childhood. 

“This is Myrtle.”

Myrtle noticed that there was another person in the room, sidling over and rubbing against his legs. Bella apologized and moved forward to grab the cat, saying that it tended to be over affectionate. 

Bella led him to the living room, moving papers and things as she went. The movie they started was one they had seen before, both of them more focused on chatting quietly than anything else. 

Thorin found himself struggling to stay awake in the darkened room. He hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, and it was beginning to catch up to him. Bella, apparently, was feeling the same because he answers to his questions took more and more time to arrive. When no answer came to his latest question, he looked down at the woman leaning on his shoulder and smiled. Bella was asleep, and in his arms. 

Carefully, he readjusted himself so his arm curled around her, allowing her to shift closer to him. He tried to focus on the movie but it grew more and more difficult to keep his eyes open. It wasn’t long and he had fallen asleep as well. 

He awoke slowly, much more alert than he had been before. The comfortable weight of Bella was gone from his side. Thorin peeled his eyes open, contacts burning. Thorin looked down at his lap and saw that Myrtle was curled there. He pursed his lips and sighed. He was not in any way used to cats, and didn’t intend to be. A high pitched whistle was coming from the kitchen. Bella was puttering around the kitchen making tea. Thorin cleared his throat, startled to see Bella jump. 

“I’m sorry for startling you, and for imposing, I shouldn’t have fallen asleep.”

“Thorin, you don’t need to apologize for everything that happens. I had only forgotten you were here, it’s not like you gave me a heart attack.”

Thorin nodded once, realizing he had stayed much later than he had intended to. 

“I really should be going, I – “The apology he was about to make stopped before he could get it out, remembering Bella’s words. Apologizing had always been how he dealt with situations that made him uncomfortable. 

“Oh, alright.” Thorin didn’t miss the disappointed look on Bella’s face. The rain had turned to a light drizzle, but looked to be clearing up. Bella was the first to speak when they reached her porch. 

“Thank you again, for lunch and for the movie, even though neither of us saw much of it.” She smiled and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. 

“I’ll be sure to call later, that is, if I survive Fili and Kili. Dis asked me to watch them while she and Vili go out.”

Bella laughed. He turned to leave but was stopped by a tug to his sleeve. A warm kiss was pressed to his cheek, the smell of soap and cherry blossoms flowing all around him. Thorin stopped immediately, his brain sprinting to catch up with what was happening. 

Bella was looking at him apprehensively, 

“Thorin, I’m sorry, I – “

Before he really could process what was happening, he was leaning down and pressing his lips to hers.She tasted of sugar and lemon. It was brief, and over before he realized he was kissing her. Bella smiled and reached for his hand, running her thumb over his. 

It took some time for Thorin to remember his purpose, and even longer to actually leave. The ride to Dis’s house passed by in a blur. His sister hurried him inside, all the while trying to put an earring in. 

“Thank you so much, Thorin. I really appreciate it. It’s been so long since Vili and I have had a night to ourselves.”

“You know I’m always here to help, Dis.”

The noise that Fili and Kili made could be heard much earlier than they could be seen. Kili came barreling down the stairs first, his brother not far behind. Dis and Vili practically ran out the door after saying goodbye. Thorin didn’t blame them, he was certain that if he had kids, a night out would be coveted. 

The rest of the night passed by slowly, the boys wanting to play a game or watch TV. Later, when Fili and Kili were in bed and when Thorin finally settled back into the couch, he checked his phone and saw he had a message from Bella. 

_Goodnight, Thorin. :) ___

Thorin’s fingers flew over the keys, 

_Goodnight, Bella. ___

Thorin looked at the text for a few seconds longer, and added what he rarely used on his phone. He looked at the text again and pressed send. 

_Goodnight, Bella. :) ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope I didnt totally destroy all your hopes and dreams when it came to my ability to write from Thorin's perspective. I think it went well, but tell me what you think! and leave ideas for the rest of the fic, because I still dont know what im doing. :)
> 
> Myrtle is totally a Maine Coon cat
> 
> If anyone cares, I just made a new lotr/hobbit blog on tumblr
> 
> its seventhstarofdurin. Im always open to chatting about anything hobbit related.


	4. Meetings, and Parties and Phone Calls - Oh my!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

_Bofur has a party tonight, do you want to come with me? ___

_Sure. Should I be worried that I’m going to meet your best friend? ___

Bella smiled. She wouldn’t tell Thorin this, but she was definitely looking forward to seeing Bofur and Thorin talk with each other for the first time. She had a feeling that Bofur would make it interesting. 

_Not at all ___

It had been around six weeks since Thorin and Bella’s first date. They spent as much time together as was possible with their schedules, and when they couldn’t see each other they talked or texted. She was positive her phone bill would be astronomical. 

Bombur had gotten used to them coming to The Traveling Party a few times a week, saying the meal was on the house each time. Thorin tended to disagree, more often than not leaving a tip large enough to cover the entire meal. 

Bella offered to pay each time as well, saying that she didn’t want to be a burden. Thorin would just look at her and smile, saying that wouldn’t be possible. She made up for it in other ways though, sending small things to his office that she thought he would enjoy. 

“Ms. Baggins, Mr. Grey is available.”

Bella tore herself away from her phone and stood. Gandalf had gotten in touch with her, saying that he wanted to visit and possibly discuss her latest project. She knew that in all likelihood they wouldn’t discuss what she was working on. Gandalf tended to get distracted when he spoke with her, always talking about her parents. She had never had any editor other than Gandalf, so she couldn’t fairly be the judge of his office. It was as though a tornado went through, having only left the barest semblance of order in its wake. Potted plants were strewn everywhere. Clippings from Middle Earth News hung on the wall, most yellowed from age. 

Gandalf Grey himself sat behind his desk, contentedly humming while perusing his laptop. The wizened old man looked up from his work and smiled, standing as soon as she came in the door. 

“Bella, dear! It is so nice to see you!” He enveloped her in a pleasant hug. Bella inhaled, enjoying the scent of pipe smoke and paper that floated around him. 

“Gandalf! How are you?”

“Just fine dear, just fine.” He moved back behind his desk and motioned for her to sit down. 

The only other chair in the room was stacked high with papers and bits of an orange peel. Bella moved the mess to the floor and sat down. Gandalf had turned back to staring at his computer, a look of confusion on his face. 

“It’s a shame that no one sends letters anymore. All this business with emails and such is horrendous.”

Bella laughed and nodded, more preoccupied in looking at the pictures on Gandalf’s desk. One was from many years ago, with her mother and Gandalf laughing in a library somewhere. 

Gandalf caught her admiring the picture and looked at it fondly. 

“Your mother was a lovely woman. So full of life and spirit. Much like you. How was your trip to Spain?”

“It was quite nice. I would like to go again someday.”

Gandalf put the picture back on the corner of his desk carefully. 

“I’m sure you will be able to. How is your writing going?”

“It’s fine. I started working on a project that I think looks promising. It’s a bit different from what I’ve done in the past, but still nice.”

Gandalf beamed at her and nodded encouragingly. Much like Thorin, Gandalf never pushed her to share specifics of her writing unless she felt comfortable. They talked about small things like the weather and the odd politician until Gandalf’s assistant interrupted with another client. 

Gandalf stood and sighed, looking at her apologetically. 

“I’m very sorry my dear. We do need to have lunch one of these days, then we can truly catch up.” He gave Bella a parting hug and turned back towards his desk. Bella was busy gathering her things when he turned back to face her, pressing the picture frame from his desk into her hands. 

“This would do you much more good than it would me. Belladonna would have liked for you to have it.”

Bella took the picture and gave Gandalf another hug. 

“Thank you so much. I can’t even begin to say how much I owe you, for everything.”

He patted her on the back and looked at her proudly. 

“Don’t forget, we must have lunch one day soon!”

Bella nodded and started to leave the office, only to be stopped by Gandalf’s voice.

“Do call your father! You know how he worries!”

“I will!”

Traffic wasn’t as bad as Bella thought it would be, so she got home much earlier than she expected. Myrtle greeted her at the door, no doubt trying to get more food. Bella scolded her and moved to her room. She still hadn’t made the bed, but she crawled in and put the picture of her mother on the nightstand. She pulled out her phone and scrolled to her father’s number. Bella had called him a few times on the trip, and almost every day since she had gotten back. She still hadn’t told him about Thorin, wanting to get to know him more first before getting her father’s hopes up. 

The phone rang five times before it was picked up. Her father answered warmly, 

“Bella! How are you, sweetheart?”

“I’m fine dad, how are you? I’m sorry I haven’t called, I’ve gotten kind of busy recently.”

“Don’t worry about it darling. I’m rather annoyed today, actually. I know they are family, but the Sackville-Bagginses are going to be the death of me! Just this morning Lobelia stole a tomato plant!”

“How did she do that? Was there one you haven’t planted yet?”

“No! She came by with a shovel and a bucket and dug it out of the ground!”

Bella laughed at the absurdity of it all. Lobelia and Otho Sackville- Baggins were, in her humble opinion, horrible people. Her mother had been of the same opinion, but her father was always more prone to lenience. 

Bungo Baggins was a quiet sort of man, almost always overshadowed by his wife Belladonna. When they had first announced their engagement, Bungo’s family were beside themselves with worry and suspicion. Belladonna’s family had welcomed her father with open arms, secretly glad to see Belladonna with someone that could ground her. 

“Are you going to get it back somehow?”

‘I called her this morning and she said she didn’t do it!”

Laughing, she said, 

“I’m sorry dad, you know how they are. Sometimes it’s better to just humor them.”

Bungo chuckled and agreed. He proceeded to fill her in on the state of her garden, saying that most of the flowers were growing beautifully and the vegetable patch was coming in nicely. 

“Bella, you should come visit soon, it feels like it has been ages since we’ve seen each other.”

“I will soon, I promise. Not the next time I visit, but possibly the one after, would you mind if I brought someone?”

The beat of silence on the other line had Bella wishing she had just kept her mouth shut. The dates that she had brought home to meet her parents had been few and far between in her life, so whenever she brought up someone new, it was a larger thing than she would have liked. 

“Of course, sweetheart! When did you meet him?”

“I actually met him in the airport. His name is Thorin.” She launched into the entire story and to her delight her father seemed more than happy with the idea. 

“What does this Thorin do again?”

“He runs a fairly large company. I haven’t found out much more than that, actually.”

“All in good time, I’m sure. He sounds like a perfectly nice man. I should like to meet him.”

“I’m glad. “

Bungo started another story, this time it involved his neighbors, the Gamgee’s, and how Hobson was growing green beans that would rival his own. Bella listed patiently, interjecting and adding things when appropriate. Eventually the sharp whistle of a tea kettle was heard in the background, ending the call. Bella promised that she would visit as soon as she was able. 

She looked at the clock on her nightstand and saw that she had about five hours until Bofur’s party. It didn’t seem to have any real purpose that Bella could see other than being a party, which didn’t surprise her. Bofur was famous for doing things randomly and without a concrete reason.

_Do you need help setting up for the party? ___

Bella sent off the text to Bofur and looked at the mess around her room. 

The next few hours consisted of methodically going through the house, cleaning every room. By the time she was finished, Bofur had texted her back saying, 

_Nope! I’ve got this! Is Thorin coming? ___

_Yeah, he is! Please don’t make him uncomfortable. He’s already nervous. ___

_Uncomfortable? Never. Making him drunk is another story. ___

Bella rolled her eyes and set the phone back on the bathroom counter. The rest of the time she had left to wait was spent getting ready and making dessert for the party. By the time Thorin rang the doorbell, she was feeling pretty accomplished. 

Thorin was dressed more nicely than the occasion probably called for. He had on dress pants and a shirt in a blue color that Bella thought he should wear more often. She looked down at her own jeans and blouse and frowned. 

“You’re making me feel underdressed.”

Thorin smiled and shook his head, looking at her fondly. 

“You look beautiful.”

Bella grabbed the cake she had made along with her purse, following Thorin back to his car. It was a shiny black sort of thing, one that Bella was certain cost more than two of her own car. They talked about their days on the way to Bofur’s. Thorin said that he had a meeting about investing in other companies around the world, and that he had made a point to mention Grey Publishing. 

She brightened at the idea, more publicity would always be helpful. When they finally reached Bofur’s apartment, the party looked to be in full swing. Bofur must have been watching for them from the window because they had almost reached the door when it was flung open, an excited looking Bofur in its wake. 

Bella hugged him with just as much excitement. It had been a while since they had seen each other, and she couldn’t deny that she was excited to see what he thought of Thorin. 

The man in question looked as though he was not ready for the greeting they had received. Bella glanced back at him and smiled, pulling him closer. 

“Bofur, this is Thorin. Thorin, this is Bofur.”

Thorin stuck out his hand for Bofur to shake. Bofur took it, but gave Bella a curious glance, mouthing ‘So formal!’ at her. Bofur led them back into the apartment, trying to point out people that they might know. 

“- so anyway, we were going to do a shot, I’ll get you one!”

Bella declined and got pulled away by Bofur’s cousin, Bifur. Thorin was being herded to the makeshift bar that Bofur had made. Bella gave him an apologetic shrug of her shoulders. 

“I’ll find you soon!” Bella waved, relieved to see that Thorin had understood her, even with the loud music and overlapping voices. 

Bella had first met Bifur before she had met Bofur. They had gone to the same school as each other when she was much younger. Bifur had struggled with a speech impediment, and Bella was more shy than she would have liked to believe. They had become fast friends, which had led to her meeting both Bofur and Bombur. The speech impediment had improved greatly over the years thanks to a dedicated speech pathologist and a tremendous amount of determination on Bifur’s part. 

“Bifur! How are you?” Bella gave her friend a quick hug. 

“I’ve been well, I started selling a few carvings of mine.”

“That’s wonderful! What else is new?”

Bifur filled her in on everything he had been doing lately, and Bella did the same in return. Before she knew it, she had spent over an hour talking with Bifur. She said her goodbyes, intent on finding Thorin. The bar was crowded with people in varying stages of drunkenness. 

She thought she caught a glimpse of the blue from Thorin’s shirt, but was tapped on the shoulder and given a one armed hug. Bombur was smiling back at her when she turned her head. He was looking slightly red, but happy.

“You came! I’m so glad you’re here, I thought I was going to have to rein Bofur in by myself!”

Bella laughed and asked,

“Have you seen Thorin?”

Bombur shook his head but continued talking, “You two make such a wonderful pair. He has always been so serious. He helped start the restaurant you know-“

Bella listened for a while, still trying to peer through the crowd and find her date. Bofur’s laugh rose above the crowd for a second and Bella waved at Bombur and followed the sound. Bombur didn’t seem to be bothered, finding someone else he knew almost immediately. 

The scene that greeted Bella when she finally found Thorin and Bofur was not one that she would soon forget. Shot glasses littered the counter and Bofur had one of his hands on Thorin’s shoulder.

“Basically, what I’m saying is that if you hurt her, something bad will happen.” Bofur swayed slightly, and his words slurred. He had apparently made the point that he wanted to because he nodded sharply and waited for Thorin’s reply. 

If it was possible, Thorin seemed to be worse off than Bofur. The fact that he was standing seemed to be a temporary situation at best, so Bella pushed her way through the crowd and grabbed his arm as fast as she could. 

“C’mon, Thorin. We should get you home.”

Thorin looked down at her and gave her a blinding smile. The smell of alcohol rolled off of him in waves. He got Bofur’s attention and stumbled over his words,

“Isn’t she beautiful?” The word beautiful was dragged out and when he finally stopped he gave Bella another smirk. 

“Alright. Where are your keys? I’ll drive you home and you can talk about my beauty later. Sound good?”

Thorin nodded and handed over his keys. He followed her out of the apartment and back into the car. If she wasn’t so shocked that Thorin had drank himself into a stupor, she would have found it hilarious. She realized now that she should have taken Bofur more seriously when he mentioned getting Thorin drunk, but then again, hindsight is always 20/20. 

Bella thanked her lucky stars that Thorin was a relatively quiet drunk. He spent the majority of the car ride alternating between looking out the window and staring at her with a silly grin on his face. It was close to three in the morning when they got back to Thorin’s and into the house. 

“What should I do about your car? Or would you mind if I crashed on the couch?”

Thorin shook his head and smiled at her. She was getting fond of the last few smiles he had given her, but wasn’t sure if she was willing to get him drunk to receive them.

“You don’t have to sleep on the couch. I can.” Thorin swayed again and Bella pushed him in the direction of his bedroom, hoping he was still sober enough to be able to change. 

Thankfully, he came back out into the living room not long after, carrying blankets and a few pillows with him. He was only wearing pajama bottoms. Bella tried not to actively stare, but she definitely appreciated the view. 

“Goodnight, Thorin.”

Thorin had already crashed on the couch but managed a muffled, 

“G’night, Bella.”

She smiled and turned out the lights. Bella picked through Thorin’s wardrobe, both trying to find something she could wear to bed instead of her jeans and hoping that Thorin wouldn’t mind in the morning. Towards the back of the closet an old t shirt hung loosely on its hanger. Bella took it off the hanger and put it on, admiring the softness of it. 

The bed was large and admittedly more comfortable than her own, so she fell asleep quickly. Sun was streaming into the windows when she woke up. Bella opened her eyes blearily and rolled over so she didn’t have to face the sun. She definitely didn’t want to be awake, but at least she didn’t have to face the formidable hangover that Thorin was sure to have.

She passed through the living room on her way to the kitchen and saw that Thorin was still asleep. Surprisingly, the fridge was well stocked with everything she could think of. Scrambled eggs and bacon along with toast were starting when the coffee was ready. 

Not long after that, Thorin came walking into the kitchen while shielding his eyes from the bright light. He turned them down with the dimmer on the wall as he passed. Bella gave him a sympathetic look and a glass of water.

Thorin sat down across from her and groaned. 

“Bofur is an incorrigible nuisance and needs to be stopped for the well-being of the entire population.”

“Well, I can’t argue with you there.” Bella flashed Thorin a smile and brought all of the food over to the table. Thorin watched her and whispered his thanks when she came back. 

“I apologize for leaving you alone last night, and for getting drunk. That is something that happens rarely, and that I should have avoided.”

“I should be the one apologizing to you. You wouldn’t be drunk if it weren’t for my overzealous friend.” 

“True, but my point still stands. On a completely different topic, I’m growing fond of you in my clothing.”

Bella smiled and looked down at herself. She had put her jeans on from the night before but had kept Thorin’s shirt on, not quite willing to part with the softness and smell. 

“I like being in your clothing.” Bella smirked and sent a wink his way.

Thorin excused himself after breakfast to shower. Bella started the dishes and hummed to herself. She didn’t want to think too far into the future, planning things that might not happen, but she liked the idea of this type of domesticity happening every day. That would come along with holidays with Dis, and Vili, and Frerin and the boys. She was happy with her life, and wouldn’t change much of it, but it would make things more enjoyable. 

Thorin broke her out of her reverie a few minutes later. His hair was damp and the slight beard he had rubbed against her neck when he kissed her cheek. Bella laughed and tore her attention away from the dishes. 

Soapy hands wrapped around his torso, but Thorin didn’t seem to mind at all. He only pulled her closer and kissed her soundly. Of all of the things in her life, Bella knew she would never grow tired of this. His lips were soft and warm, his breath minty. Her tongue swept along his lip and she bit it softly. Thorin made a small hum of approval. The dishes were forgotten completely when Thorin lifted her, letting her legs wrap around his waist. Bella let out a small surprised gasp, but was quickly occupied by Thorin’s mouth on hers again. They continued like that for a few minutes, and Bella began to think of where this would preferably lead. 

So when Thorin stopped kissing her for a moment, looking at her with a flushed face and swollen lips, Bella knew her answer to his silent question. She nodded and kissed him once more, letting him carry her to his bedroom. 

Thorin set her down on the bed, and smiled at her when she pulled him closer. Bella ran her hands under his shirt and admired the taut muscles on his abdomen and the way it felt when he leaned down over her, pressing his lips to her throat. 

Clothes disappeared onto the floor, leaving both Thorin and Bella pressed as close as they could be. Thorin reverently ran his hands over every part of her body that he could reach, and Bella found herself doing the same. They hadn’t gotten the opportunity to be so blatantly physical yet, but Bella was more than happy it was happening. Thorin’s hands and mouth roamed lower, leaving Bella gasping and pleading. She returned the favor until Thorin gently pried her hand away from himself, saying 

“Let me.”

His fingers slipped between her thighs, leaving Bella bucking her hips in search of any type of friction she could find. Thorin pressed a final, passionate kiss to her lips and startling blue eyes met warm green, 

“You are so beautiful.”

Bella returned his kiss and pressed closer to him, making what she wanted clear. Without further delay, Thorin slipped into her, leaving Bella sighing and grabbing handfuls of the sheets. 

“Thorin – Thorin, please. Please move.” He kissed her brow and ran his hands along her. They moved in tandem, both gasping and whispering to each other. Bella wrapped her legs around him, urging him to go faster. 

She reached her peak with great shuddering breaths, Thorin following not long after. They laid there blissfully wrapped in each other’s arms until they caught their breath. Bella kissed his neck languidly, curling her fingers through his hair. 

Silvery streaks cut through the black hair, something that Bella had never noticed before. 

“I like this,” she said, toying with a completely silver part of his hair. 

Thorin chuckled lightly, still a little breathless. 

“I don’t. It shows that I’m just old.” 

Bella shook her head, 

“You’re not old at all. Just experienced.” 

Thorin laughed and pulled her closer. It was almost two in the afternoon by the time they both left the bed. Thorin invited her to use his shower if she wanted, which she gladly accepted. By the time her hair had dried and she had found other clothes to wear, Thorin was in the kitchen cooking something that smelled amazing. He smiled at her when she put her arms around him. 

“I didn’t realize you could cook.” Bella leaned in and glanced at everything on the counter. It was an elaborate mix of everything she had seen in the fridge earlier, but combined in ways she thought were a bit strange. 

“Cooking for me is like you gardening. It’s nice being able to step into my kitchen and forget everything from work. Plus, I like to eat.”

Bella grabbed her purse off of the counter and dug around until she found her phone. Bofur had left exactly seventeen messages since the time she had seen him last. Which was less than twenty four hours ago. She rolled her eyes and glanced through them. The first had been right after they left the party, 

_Belllaaaaaaaa! U left the parti! Ur such a nerk ___

The next text messages were of the same drunken nature, and Bella found that she didn’t feel like giving him much sympathy. She stopped and stared open mouthed at a picture of who she thought was Bombur, of all people, doing a keg stand. The latest text messages were from earlier that morning, 

_I feel like shit ___

_Sorry 4 last night… If it makes you feel any better, I regret every shot ___

_Thorin probably does too. Haha ___

_Sorry ___

Bella put her phone back into her purse, telling herself that she would text Bofur later. Thorin came over to where she sat on the table and pushed a plate towards her. The meal was spent with flirting glances and fleeting touches. They talked about trivial things, like their favorite colors and movies, or the books they read when they were children. 

The dishes from breakfast were still sitting in the sink. 

“I’ll wash the dishes if you dry them.” Bella tossed the towel at Thorin. 

After the dishes were done, Bella and Thorin went into the living room and sprawled out on the couch. The news was awash with reports of three successive bank robberies. 

“At this time, the police have no conclusive evidence or ideas of what could be the motive of these robberies-”

Bella watched the news, wholly disinterested, so she didn’t protest when Thorin changed the channel quickly. Thorin’s phone started to ring and vibrate across the coffee table. He answered it before it could make noise for much longer. Bella listened to his side of the conversation, curious to see who it was. 

“Hello? Oh, Hi Dis. No- I’m with Bella. Yes, I know. And where will Frerin be this fine evening? I’m not surprised. It’s fine. I’ll be over then. See you soon. Bye.”

Thorin put his phone back on the table and looked at her apologetically. 

“Dis wants me to come over and watch Fili and Kili tonight.”

“That sounds nice. They’re fun to be around.”

“They are, but I enjoy your company far more.”

“Flattery. You know, I’m not doing anything tonight. I could help you reign in the small terrors.”

“That would be wonderful.” 

When they arrived at Dis’s house, the first thing they saw was Fili and Kili running around in the front yard. They stopped immediately when they saw Thorin and Bella get out of the car. 

Kili came sprinting over,

“Bella! Thirty eight days until my birthday!”

Bella laughed and gave him a hug. Dis hurried out of the house and waved them inside. Fili and Kili were still running around and Bella had a feeling this would be a very long night. Thorin seemed to agree when she glanced over at him. 

“Aren’t you glad I’m here?” Bella nudged him playfully. 

“Without a doubt.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this, and I hope that it wasnt disappointing. If you squint really really hard, you can see a bit of plot that's more than fluff at the end, so yay :) As always, leave a comment and you'll be my favorite person ever. Suggestions are always welcome :)
> 
> If you want, check these things out -  
> Almost Respectable - another fem!bilbo fic I'm writing 
> 
> seventhstarofdurin - my LOTR/ Hobbit blog on tumblr.
> 
> Writing drunk Bofur was my fave thing to do :)


	5. Snowflakes and Sapphires

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY. ITS BEEN OVER A YEAR. FORGIVE ME.

The next few months passed easily, Bella becoming even busier with her new novel, which had all but consumed her every waking moment. Christmas was quickly approaching, and she couldn’t wait. The Christmas season always put her in a good mood. She adored the carols, the movies, the snow, and the celebrations with her family. It also gave her an excuse to bake like mad. When she was stressed about the writing, she made cookies. When she fretted over not being able to see Thorin as often as she would like, pies and cakes appeared almost out of thin air on her counters. It was like walking into a bakery every time she unlocked her front door. 

_How is the meeting with Gandalf?_

Bella shot off a text to Thorin, knowing he wouldn’t see it for at least a few hours, judging by what little she knew of his work schedule. Lately he had been particularly busy, working with Gandalf and the rest of Grey Publishing to invest a significant amount of money in the works they were printing. They were in the end stages, with everything necessary as good as decided and put in place. To her understanding, the remaining tasks were inconsequential, and small. Still, Thorin never took anything lightly. 

She couldn’t help but to smile when she thought about the negotiations, mainly Gandalf and Thorin in the same room together, and how secretly annoyed Thorin would be when Gandalf complained about emails and the internet.

She set her computer aside and leaned back, relishing every crack of her back. It was time for a break. And a piece of cake. She deserved it. 

Myrtle perked up immediately when she stood, probably thinking that her sole provider of sustenance would never move from the indent in the bed. The cat meowed noisily, wanting food. She shook her head at the greedy cat, 

“Oh, don’t you act like that. You’ve been fed already.”

Still, Myrtle followed her into the kitchen, staring at her imploringly from the counter. 

Maybe because of her soft heart, or her tendency to indulge the already pudgy feline, Bella dumped another half cup of food into Myrtle’s bowl. The cat purred happily, giving her what she took as a grateful look. 

She turned back to the fridge, which had been completely plastered with drawings by Fili and Kili. The few magnets she owned weren’t enough, judging by the slowly sinking papers. Much of the artwork by Fili consisted of her in a line with the rest of his family, which warmed her heart. Kili, however, had taken a liking to Myrtle, and mainly drew her. 

Bella pulled out the most recently made cake, a raspberry filled wonder, trying to decide how big of a piece to cut. The knife danced along the frosting, widening until she finally cut into it. She was treating herself. And no one needed to know the amount of cake she planned on eating. 

Her phone buzzed from its place on the table, almost causing her to inhale the bite of cake in her mouth. After surviving the ensuing coughing attack she opened it quickly, ecstatic that it was from Thorin.

_It went well. I’ll call you soon, I need to finish up a few things first. ___

Bella nodded to herself, typing out a quick reply. Before she could hit send, her phone vibrated with more messages, still from Thorin.

_If Dis calls you, don’t answer it. She called me once already. ___

_I’ll explain later. ___

_It’s about Christmas. ___

_Ignore my sister. ___

She deleted the text she was planning on sending, utterly lost. If it was just about Christmas, why should she ignore Dis? Deciding it best not to worry about it, Bella washed the ever growing pile of dishes in her sink, and briefly toyed with the idea of breaking out the vacuum from its dusty place in the hall closet. Watching a movie could be nice too, she thought. Plus she wouldn’t have to deal with the fuss Myrtle would put up with the vacuum. 

The decision making process was interrupted by the ringing of her doorbell. She brightened, hoping it would be her neighbor Beorn, who always made the most amazing cinnamon rolls and homemade bread around the holidays. 

When she had moved in, Beorn had been the first to knock on her door with sweets in tow. She liked him ever since. Even after that one Halloween party where she dressed up as a rabbit, and he started calling her ‘little bunny’ whenever he saw her. 

Myrtle followed her to the door, and if she wasn’t careful, would make a break for it if she had the opportunity. Bella picked her up hurriedly, and opened the door. Without warning, Fili and Kili breezed past her. Dis was left in their wake, all smiles. 

Bella smiled back, if a tad uncertainly. 

“Bella! It’s so nice to see you! The boys are finally on winter break, so I thought we’d pay a visit.”

Even if she didn’t know what Dis was planning, she certainly wasn’t going to be rude. Especially since Thorin was probably overreacting. 

“That’s lovely! Would you like anything? I could make some coffee, or bring out some cake.”

Dis stepped inside and nodded, giving Myrtle a quick scratch around the ears. 

“That would be wonderful. “

Bella smiled, heading back to the direction of the kitchen. She set Myrtle down on her way, watching bemusedly as the cat made a beeline for Kili. Soon enough, her three guests had plates piled high with sweets, all sitting around her kitchen table. 

Her phone buzzed a few times while she and Dis were idly chatting. She could tell that Dis had zeroed in on it immediately, but kept talking. A quick glance down at her phone showed that it was Thorin. 

“Bella, do you have plans for Christmas?”

Her phone buzzed again, which did nothing to help her in finding an answer. 

“I don’t think that I do yet. My father is spending the holiday with the Baggins side, so I’m planning on spending at least some time with them. Why?”

Dis lit up, having obviously been waiting for that question to come about in conversation naturally. 

“Well, if you are free, and I truly hope you are, Vili and I are planning a Christmas party. A lot of our family is planning on going, and there will be plenty of food and presents to go around. We’d love to have you there, right boys?”

With that Dis turned to the boys, who were busily munching on the sugar cookies. They both nodded, and through a mouthful of cookie, Kili said,

“There’s lots of presents! Grandma always gives us so many! You could get some too!”

He beamed at her, and looked at Fili, who nodded back at her with just as much enthusiasm. Her heart melted into a puddle. How could she refuse when the boys were brought into the mix? She turned her attention back to Dis, who was staring at her expectantly. 

“I’d love to go. I’m sure Thorin would enjoy it as well.” 

Dis nodded back, smiling. 

“Then it’s settled! I’ll be sure to send you more details later!”

Not long after, Dis got a call from Frerin, who was in the need of rescuing. He had apparently gotten left by a date at a chalet, where he had called the woman by the wrong name as they were putting on their skates. Bella could only hear a bit of the conversation, but it sounded like Frerin wasn’t too bothered by his blunder. 

After Dis hung up the phone she sent an exasperated look towards Bella, but started laughing. 

“I swear that Frerin will never learn. I’m going to hold this over him for ages. Wait until Vili hears, he’ll laugh himself silly.”

Bella followed Dis into the living room where Fili and Kili were playing with Myrtle. She looked over to Dis, who was watching her sons with incredibly soft eyes. 

“Who wants to go see Uncle Frerin?”

The sheer delight that crossed the boys’ features made her smile. The three of them were out the door fairly quickly, only held up by a lost mitten. Bella stood by the door long enough to watch them drive away, waving as they went. 

She weaved her way back to the kitchen, stepping lightly over a full laundry basket that had been forgotten when she had finally gotten past her latest bout of writer’s block. The phone sat silent on the table, a stark contrast to only twenty minutes before. She picked it up, scrolling through one text that Bofur had left about getting together and on to the ones that Thorin had sent. 

_Are you free for lunch? I can get a reservation with Bombur. ___

The next ones were sent about ten minutes after the first, and in quick succession. 

_Dis isn’t answering her phone. Do you know why? ___

_Bella? ___

_Vili just called me. I cannot believe she came to your house. Call me when you see this. ___

She couldn’t help but to smirk a little bit. She had a feeling that Thorin had learned to never underestimate his sister. Her thumb scrolled through her contact list until she saw Thorin’s name, pressing the call button. It barely finished the first ring when Thorin answered. 

“Bella. I have to apologize for my sister. She should have given you some warning before she was waiting on your doorstep, and – “ 

“Thorin, it’s fine. I wasn’t expecting to see her and the boys, but they weren’t a nuisance. I think I should apologize too, I said that we would go to the Christmas party.” 

Thorin sighed on the other end of the line, but he didn’t sound too put out by what she had said. 

“Don’t worry about it, Bella. I’m not upset. I’ve avoided the Christmas parties that Dis throws for three or four years because of work. I knew she would try to rope us in this year. I didn’t want you to feel that you were obligated to join my family.” 

Bella smiled into her phone, shaking her head. 

“I don’t feel obligated to spend time with your family. I enjoy them. And I’ll have you with me, so why would I object?” 

Thorin chuckled, and she could picture the slight blush that would rise high on his cheeks when she said that. 

“I’m more than lucky to have you by my side as well. “ 

His voice softened as he spoke, which made Bella weak at the knees. She sighed to herself, wondering how she had ever been so fortunate to meet Thorin. She realized she hadn’t spoken for some time, no doubt leaving Thorin wondering what was wrong. 

“Do you still want to go to lunch, or are you busy again?” 

“No, I told Balin to clear the rest of my day. I can call Bombur for a reservation and then pick you up in about twenty minutes?” 

“That would be lovely. I’ll see you soon.” 

They said their goodbyes, leaving Bella standing in her kitchen. She glanced down at herself, realizing that she had on what amounted to her pajamas. Her eyebrows rose, and she ran into her bedroom hoping that Thorin wouldn’t arrive early. 

Just as she was finished getting dressed and freshening up, she heard a knock at the door. Bella glanced at her watch, impressed. Thorin was ever punctual, as per usual. 

The door swung open to reveal Thorin in a striking black coat. It had just begun to snow, leaving him look like he belonged on a Christmas card. He smiled down at her fondly, extending an arm for her to take. 

She took it gladly, pulling him down to give him a quick kiss. He returned it with enthusiasm, and Bella could feel the chuckle building in his throat. They broke apart a while later, simply staring at each other. Thorin tucked a curl behind her ear and then leaned down to kiss her nose. 

“Let’s get in the car before you freeze.” 

Bella snorted, 

“I can handle a little cold weather, you know.” 

Thorin pulled her closer as they walked to the car. 

“I know. I do prefer being warm, though.” 

The ride to The Traveling Party was blessedly short, her stomach had started to growl about five minutes into the drive. It had been loud enough for Thorin to hear, which didn’t bother her anymore. He sent a smile her way, musing that he might have to order dessert after their meal. 

Bombur practically opened the door for them when they arrived, gushing about his new menu items, and the more seasonally appropriate desserts. He lead them to their table, took their orders and left, the model of courtesy. 

Thorin moved behind her, reaching for her coat to help her take it off. She shrugged it off graciously and sat. Thorin sat across from her, not saying anything, just staring at her. Bella quirked an eyebrow at him, slyly glancing down at her front, worried that there was a stain of some sort. 

He noticed what she was doing and smirked. One of his hands reached across the table, laying over her own easily. She watched his gaze lift from their clasped hands to her eyes, a smile blooming on his face. Bella smiled back, utterly enamored. 

“You’re beautiful, Bella.” 

She ducked her head, still not used to Thorin’s constant compliments. He gave her hand a squeeze, and then let go. 

“How was your day? Besides my sister and nephews barging in unannounced?” 

“Well, I made some progress writing which is a relief. Gandalf has always been good about letting me work at my own pace, but even I can see he wants to see at least a portion of a draft soon.” 

“You’ll have something soon, I’m certain of it.” Thorin’s gaze was so full of warmth and affection that she couldn’t help but to believe him. It was in that moment that she knew with complete and utter certainty that she loved Thorin Oakenshield. Neither of them had said as much out loud, but there were moments where Bella was certain he felt the same. 

She focused back in on what he was saying, something about the kitten for Christmas that Kili hadn’t stopped writing to Santa about. Bella smiled, thinking about what it would be like to see Kili with a kitten, and the utter joy it would no doubt bring. 

“How do Dis and Vili feel about the idea of a kitten in the house?” 

Thorin gave a little shrug, saying, 

“Dis is all for it, but Vili would be happier getting a dog than a cat. He told her that he was allergic to cats, but Dis said that he just wants a puppy to play with.” 

“Maybe a kitten could be Kili’s present? If Dis and Vili are okay with it.” 

Thorin brightened, 

“I’ll have to ask. It would be nice to outdo my family when it comes to presents for once. And I’m sure a kitten would take the focus off of my being there.” 

The conversation continued for some time, only ending when Bombur’s pleasant voice arrived along with their food. As always, it was magnificent, the homemade pasta perfectly cooked, and the seared fish atop it tender. Bella practically moaned at the first bite, which made Thorin raise an eyebrow. The comment he made afterwards sent a blush all the way to the tip of her ears. She looked around the restaurant, hoping no one else had heard. 

When she knew she was in the clear, Bella kicked him lightly, feeling slightly better at his feigned wince. She smirked at him, turning her attention back to her lunch. The ease she felt whenever she was with Thorin was something new. Sure, she had felt comfortable with her friends and family, but Thorin was something different. He felt safe, like she was where she was supposed to be whenever he was near. The urge to tell him that she was in love with him grew all throughout their lunch, with every quick witted comment he made or story he told. 

By time they had paid and left the restaurant, it was on the tip of her tongue. Nerves coiled in her stomach, keeping her from saying it, somehow afraid that Thorin wouldn’t feel the same. The park they soon found themselves in was breathtaking, covered in frost and delicate snowflakes. 

“What is your family like?” Bella looked up at Thorin curiously, wanting to know more about the people she was to spend her holidays with. 

Thorin smiled to himself, making Bella’s heart swell. The snow that had landed on his hair and coat completed a moment she never wanted to forget. 

“Well, you know Dis and her family already. Add Frerin into the mix and it can be even more interesting. I think a lot of the cousins and family friends are able to make it this year as well, so it’ll be a pretty packed house. But they’re all good people, you’ll like them.” 

At that, Thorin looked down and smiled at her, giving her mitten covered hand a squeeze. 

“What about your mother?” 

Thorin’s smile broadened, 

“My mother is a force to be reckoned with. She’s one of those people who has anyone figured out within a few minutes of meeting them. She’s fond of company, would move mountains for Fili and Kili, and is the only one that Frerin has ever listened to in his entire life. I’ve always been much closer to her.” 

Bella smiled at everything Thorin said. 

“She sounds lovely. I’m looking forward to meeting her, and the rest of your family.” Thorin stopped walking to pull her closer to him. His hands wrapped around her waist, caging her in. Bella looked up into his face fondly, her eyes no doubt betraying the deep affection she felt for him. 

“She’s going to love you, I promise. Everyone else will too. They might be a little nosy though. Nothing too bad, I don’t think.” 

Thorin paused after he said that, reaching into his coat pocket. 

“Still, I’d be happier to give you your present now rather than when everyone is watching.” 

“Oh, I don’t have yours wrapped yet, I didn’t think –“ 

“Bella, it’s fine. I don’t mind.” The smile he sent her way was almost disarming. He pulled out a velvet box and set it gently in her hand. It was no doubt some sort of jewelry, and probably much more expensive than what she had gotten him. Even so, she was sure he would like the silvery tie clip engraved with a mountain scene. Bella wiggled her other hand out of her mitten, curiosity getting the best of her. 

She couldn’t even help the fact that her jaw dropped, but honestly. It was too much. The sapphire necklace glittered against the black velvet, accented by the few small diamonds surrounding the main stone. The setting made the stones look vaguely floral, and Bella was certain she’d never seen something more beautiful. 

Bella looked back up at Thorin, awestruck. 

“Thorin, this is too much. It’s beautiful, but you didn’t have to get me something like this, it must have been so expensive-“ 

Thorin smiled at her, silencing her for a moment. 

“The only thing that matters is that you like it, Bella.” 

“Of course I like it! It’s absolutely gorgeous, Thorin." 

Thorin’s smile brightened, as though he was waiting for her to say those exact words. 

“I’m glad. Would you like help putting it on?” 

Bella nodded, lifting her hair as Thorin pulled the necklace from its box. He clasped it around her neck with a practiced ease. Before his hands could retreat to their respective pockets Bella grabbed them with her own, squeezing his hands as she stood on her toes to kiss him soundly. 

Bella smirked as Thorin hummed a contented sound. They spent quite some time like that, happy to simply get lost in the other. If that particular kiss was going to be any indication, Bella was positive that it was going to be a very good Christmas indeed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that! Again, I am so so so sorry that I kind of gave up on this for while. At the time, I didnt really have a plot for this, but now I figured one out, and am fully committed to finishing this. It just might take a while now, because I'm a freshman in college, and finals are coming up. I've never been more stressed in my entire life. 
> 
> But! There will be updates, and I'm planning the next installment of the A Question of Respectability series. So yay!
> 
> If you'd like, my main tumblr is ivorrwen, and has turned completely Tolkien related. I held out as long as I was able ;)


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